Cake people this way please!

[BupcakesandCunting]

I am attempting to make my first "proper" birthday cake for DS's 5th party this weekend. I usually just do a Victoria sponge and chuck frosting and Smarties at it but I am doing a proper iced jobby this time.

I have questions:

1. Can I just do a normal Victoria sponge and ice it with ready to roll Regalice stuff? Will the sponge be OK iced or do I need to make something more sturdy?

1. I'll be cutting shapes out of coloured icing and sticking them to the cake. What's the best 'glue' to use? I was thinking icing sugar/water?

1. How do you avoid getting fingerprints all over the icing?!

I probably have more questions...

You buy it.

You can make it too - 1 5ml spoon of lemon juice in half pint of milk, leave to stand for 5 mins or so then mix

I find Madeira sponge better for carving into shapes than victoria sponge. But you could freeze it a bit to make it former. Also don't try to do it all in one day if possible. Better to bake one day, assemble/ice the next.

Buttermilk can be bit tricky to find where I live. I generally have to get it from Sainsburys as nowhere stocks it. I use it to make a really quick Soda Bread pizza base.

I make buttermilk mixing plain yoghurt and ss milk - see if you can google Nigella's recipe .

Where's wem ? She's made some really impressive cakes (photos on her profile).

Whoops I scared her off! Ignore my last post, she is in fact totally incompetent and couldn't decorate a cake to save her life, proof in the rubbish photos on her her profile!

Viking! My problem is I can explain in detail how I've made all my cakes, but until I have a go, I don't know how to do anything else! So not much help!

Bupcakes - the cake looks like fun to make, looking forward to seeing the results :)

We, your cakes are amazing!

Argh, I'm cakemaking for 1st time soon too- lots of great tips here thanks (and I'm on other thread too...).

I'm making 2 cakes for DS's 5th birthday next weekend.

1. Monster (not buttercream)
2. Sealife here- top pic

I need monster ideas- help!

I make buttermilk by over whipping double cream. You really need a mixer, but basically whip double cream long enough and it'll separate into butter and buttermilk.

I always buy any reduced price double cream I find, because it makes cheap butter.

I do alot of cakes, and fancy ones

I have a lot of recipes but any viccy sponge will do, then once made i refrigerate wrapped in foil overnight, then next again day, i cover the cake in either ganache or buttercream, smooth it all down for a nice smooth look and then cover with your sugarpaste.

If you're sticking things onto it, i just use a paintbrush and wet the sugarpaste making it sticky and things stick on beautifully!

You've probably got the answers already, but I'm going crossed trying to read all replies (got a cold & sneezing) so will add my 2 penneth anyway :0

1, Yes Victoria Sponge will be fine, but Madeira or another more dense cake would be better still - but do "seal it" with a layer of jam, butter ice, honey or some other sweet stickiness that suits the flavour you want & your DCs like - this will help stop the regal icing from drying out & will help the icing stick - Doubt it will last long enough at a kids party to worry to much about drying out anyway

2, Use your rolling pin to lift icing into place & drop over the cake - make sure its bigger than our cake AND depth of sides - don't worry if not quite there, use palette type knife into place.

1. have a mug of red hot water standing by & dip this knife into it & use to smooth away flaws in the cake - you can also buy icing polishers/smoothers which are a great gadget to have if you do this often :)see here

4.Use a tooth pick or cocktail stick to pick up & mix up your icing colours - little at a time, easier to add than take out

1. you can make shapes in advance - if they are finished, you can let them dry & don't worry - if not layer with grease proof paper

1. Sterilised Kids Clay Modelling tools are great for modelling icing, as do any suitable play doh moulds etc.

1. Using a bun tray as a palette, you can mix up coloured icing paints - drop of colour & mix in icing sugar until you get a paint like paste & then use as you would paint.

1. Icing Sugar & water whipped into in a thick paste makes great icing glue - or use the writing icing.

1. use freezer bags with the corner nipped off, filled with colour icing to line any piping bags - just whip out when you want to change colour - no bag to wash & dry out, just swap or wash nozzle.

10. don't worry about the mess on your cake board - when your done use strong kitchen roll & hot water to mop it away - keep changing kitchen roll to avoid just pushing it around.

11. & top tip if all else fails - a liberal sprinkling of fine edible glitter - self colour best for boys- hides a multitude of cracks & fingerprints

Butter Cream would taste far better with that sort of sponge cake - personally I think regalice only really works with rich fruitcake - a good tutorial here if you fancy that instead - Even better add white chocolate to your icing - it colours too & make your cake a rich choc one :)

Smooth topped buttercream icing tutorial

hope thats of some use :)

DOH - typo gremlins -

cross eyed - not crossed & hopefully the numerous other typos makes sense

Theres cakes on my photos too :)